


Lasnari

by Meynara



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Pidge Holiday Exchange 2018, Pidge | Katie Holt-centric, science!!!, set in season 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 07:19:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17545193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meynara/pseuds/Meynara
Summary: After events unfold, with Lotor helping to rescue her father and take out the threat of Zarkon within a very short period of time, Pidge is finding herself questioning what she does and doesn't know about the Galra Prince, and goes to learn more.Bonding over science ensues.





	Lasnari

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AstroGold](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstroGold/gifts).



Katie Holt was a girl who was hopelessly devoted to three things: her family, her team, and science. When the opportunity arose to get her father back, she hadn’t even thought twice about throwing Lotor to the dogs. If it got her father back, then it was worth it, because Lotor was just a horrible person, right?

But then Lotor hadn’t actually been an awful person, and had not only helped to get her father back when he hadn’t really needed to, and had killed Zarkon, his own father, on top of it all. This caused her to realize she needed to reevaluate her assessment of the Galra Prince.

Such it was that she was standing outside the room he had been given on the castleship as they were headed to check on some things elsewhere, staring at his door while running multiple ideas through her head as to how she would approach him after having been so horribly rude before.

Before she could reach forward to ring and alert him to her presence outside his door, however, the door opened and he was standing there, fully clad in his dark armor, hair combed out perfectly as always, a bemused expression resting on his face.

“Greetings, Green Paladin, is there anything I can assist you with today…?” His voice trailed off, uncertainty evident after a momentary pause, watching as Katie took a single step back, her hands splayed at her sides as if expecting to fall backward only to not actually fall.

Clearing her throat, she stood tall -- as tall as she could, at least, which didn’t get much higher than Lotor’s waist -- looking up and clasping her hands in front of her. “A-actually, I was wondering just that? If there was anything I might could help you with? After, y’know, everything, I realized we don’t really know much about each other and that’s really a travesty. I know you can fight really well with a sword, and your hair care regimen probably puts Lance’s to shame, but there’s got to be more than that to you, right?”

Lotor watched Katie for a long, long moment before smiling down at her, a hint of fang visible. “Well, I consider myself more of a scholar than a warrior, truth be told. Perhaps we could work on enhancing our combined knowledge for a short period of time?” Crossing his arms in front of himself, he gave a shrug with one shoulder. “If you have the time to spare, that is, which I’m assuming you do given your presence here?”

“Oh yeah, definitely, I’ve got time. As long as no one’s attacking us, that’s uh, that’s a lot of what I do. Back home I’m considered a genius? But I don’t really get it, I just, enjoy learning things. Though I have my limits, given I’ve only been in space for a short time and Earth wasn’t even aware other races existing beyond her solar system. Have you  _ seen  _ some of the systems here on the castleship? They’re old, but so  **advanced** compared to what we have on Earth. I’m still learning my way around them, between the language barrier and finding time between fights and sleeping and eating and training and...well, you know how it is.” She coughed, embarrassed for having just, rambled like that, one hand reaching up to scratch at the back of her head.

The smile on Lotor’s face stretched into a smirk. “Well, you would be in luck, as I have no need for translators, and I know the Altean language. I’ve studied it rather thoroughly, after all. Between your familiarity with our surroundings and my knowledge, we might be able to make some headway on that. Care to lead the way?”

Katie would forever swear that she did not squeal happily at the prospect afterwards. Even if she actually did.

Being able to understand things without Coran there going off on tangents or Allura being distracted, being able to learn things with someone else? The prospect was  _ exciting _ .

* * *

 

When Coran stumbled upon Lotor and Pidge, the position they were in might have been considered compromising to others -- but they were working on one of the environmental systems that was enclosed in a little nook, seeming unbothered by the physical closeness that they were sharing. They certainly weren’t doing anything remotely untoward, with Lotor’s voice was low and carried just enough that Coran was reassured.

“This is the element I  _ believe  _ you have coined ‘oxygen’,” Lotor spoke, his finger carefully pointing at one of the characters that rested over the piping. “The word Alteans would have used for it is  _ lasnari _ , it is vital for most species we know of to survive, but too much of it can be fatal.”

“Ooh, okay, yeah, that it would be. We have to have a specific amount of oxygen in the air, but other minerals in the air as well.” Pidge nodded to herself as she took a note on her tablet. “It’s  _ fascinating  _ seeing how many similarities there are between humans and Alteans and Galra and the other various species we see out here. We all have a similar base structure, but we’ve all adapted to our environments, which yeah, on Earth we have a concept called Evolution? And this seems to be proof of it. Granted, that’s not really my area of expertise, I’m mostly a programmer, working on the insides of technology. But there’s no such thing as too much knowledge, and this -- needing oxygen, needing…” Her face scrunched up as she tried to mimic how Lotor had pronounced the word, “ _ Lasnari _ ? That’s early school stuff for us.”

Crossing his arms, Coran moved closer to the pair, leaning against the wall just outside the nook to listen in -- wanting to be sure that Pidge was actually safe with Lotor. They may be allies, but that didn’t mean that Lotor had any obligation to actually be nice to the youngest human.

“It is similar for us, for Galra. Well, for some of us anyway. The more intelligent of us go into schooling to focus that knowledge into something useful for the Empire. Those who aren’t as intelligent are taught how to fight from a younger age. And many of us live longer lives.” Lotor paused, swallowing. “Though perhaps I will have the ability to change that in the near future. Change is slow in coming, especially for races with longevity like Galra, but--”

“But you should at least  _ try _ ,” Pidge quickly interrupted him, scrunching her face to look over at him, spotting Coran in the process and giving a small wave without being distracted from her conversation. “If anyone can lead the Galra to a better future, lead the universe to a better future, it would be you, I think. You’ve got that balance of education and experience that others don’t have, from what I can tell? I could be wrong, but I like to think I’m not.”

Looking back over his shoulder as Pidge waved, Lotor took in Coran’s presence and gave him a small, tired smile before turning his attention back to Pidge. “I can only hope that you are, indeed, correct. And provided I am present when the Kral Zera is called, I  _ will  _ defeat the others, and  **_will_ ** begin forging that better path.”

There was an awkward pause before Pidge was moving over to give Lotor a hug -- an action that caused the Prince to freeze up, not expecting or even knowing much of affection of any sort. “You can do this. I believe in you, at least.”

Another pause before Lotor’s arms went to loosely wrap around the back of Pidge’s waist, hugging her back. “That gives me strength. Thank you, Green Paladin.”

“I told you, you can call me Pidge. It’s only right since we’re friends. You don’t have to be so formal.” She laughed, leaning back once more and scrunching her face at him, sticking out her tongue. “Just because you’re more used to formal settings, doesn’t mean that you need to remain formal at all times. Formality is overrated.”

Coran coughed, clearing his throat. “Don’t let Allura hear you say that, number five. She  _ thrives  _ on formality. It is how she was raised, after all.”

Pidge’s head poked out past Lotor’s shoulder, making a face at Coran now. “No, she doesn’t need to hear anything. She’s the pretty pretty Princess for a reason, and she’s better remaining formal. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a great person, but she’s much better suited for diplomacy than me. She knows what she’s doing. I’m just the science nerd.”

Lotor found himself trapped by the force that was Pidge, unwilling to move, but also feeling more and more discomfort with where he was. “I believe you could do well enough if you wished to, Pidge.” His gaze turned to look at Coran, just over the top of Pidge’s head, almost silently asking for help.

Help that Coran was more than glad to provide, moving over and quite literally scooping her up. “Yes, well we all know what our strengths are, and we play to those strengths. However, Pidge, you should be more careful about being in other’s spaces?”

Taking in a deep breath, Pidge held it before letting it out in an irritated sigh. “Fine, fine, I’ll be good, put me  **down** . I’m  _ not  _ a child, don’t treat me like one.”

“In the eyes of the universe at large? You are rather young. All of you are,” Lotor visibly relaxed, moving to grab Pidge’s tablet before getting out of the nook and standing up as Coran set her down. “That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it is merely something to be aware of.” His gaze moved over to look at Coran as he handed the tablet over. “Regardless, I presume there is a reason you are here?”

“Yes, yes, the others are gathering on the bridge. We’ve intercepted a transmission that you might be more than a bit interested in.” Coran looked seriously at Lotor before placing a gentle hand between Pidge’s shoulder blades, moving towards the lift that connected the levels of the castleship together. “The ships are on the move. We need to consider our next move as well.”

Pidge accepted her tablet gratefully, holding it to her chest before looking from Coran to Lotor and back again. “Oh, right, we probably should go and see what’s going on.” Already the silliness that had shown for a brief time was hiding itself away, her expression turning serious once more, though now? Now she was more comfortable in Lotor’s presence, moreso than Coran himself seemed to be.

And she noticed.

She wouldn’t call it out, however, letting the two men talk quietly as they got into the lift, her thoughts instead moving towards what she had learned in their brief moments.

Pidge sincerely hoped there would be more moments like that. That had been fun in a way only she really could call fun, different from what she could do with the others.


End file.
